Stabilized aroma-providing components and foodstuffs containing same

ABSTRACT

Stabilized aroma-providing components such as chocolate, tea or coffee aromas that are stabilized against loss or degradation of desirable flavor or sensory characteristics of its aroma during storage. The stabilizing agent is present with the aroma-providing component in an amount effective to chemically interact with compounds in the aroma-providing component to (a) provide increased amounts of desirable compounds that impart desirable flavor or sensory characteristics to the aroma or (b) reduce the amount of undesirable compounds that suppress desirable flavor characteristics or that contribute to or generate undesirable flavor or sensory characteristics in the aroma. The stabilizing agent preferably is a nucleophile that contains sulfur or nitrogen, such as sulfur dioxide, sulfites, compounds or substances that contain or generate sulfites, thiols, amines or amino acids, cysteine, gluathione or an enzyme. The stabilized aroma-providing component retains the desirable flavor and sensory characteristics of the aroma for a time period of at least six months to one year or longer.

CROSS REFERENCE

[0001] This application is a continuation of the U.S. National Stagedesignation of International Application PCT/EP02/03026 filed Mar. 13,2002, the content of which is expressly incorporated herein by referencethereto, and claims priority to U.S. provisional application serial No.60/278,506, filed Mar. 23, 2001.

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to a stabilized aroma-providing componentfor a beverage or foodstuff. An aroma-providing component is stabilizedagainst loss or degradation of the flavoring, taste, or other desirablesensory characteristics of the component. The invention also relates tofoodstuffs such as foods or beverages that contain the stabilizedaroma-providing component. Suitable stabilized aroma-providingcomponents include stabilized chocolate, tea and preferably coffeearomas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Flavoring components are utilized in a wide variety of food andbeverage products to impart, provide, modify, or enhance the flavor ortaste to the product. Such components are often isolated or extractedfrom various natural materials. When these components are extracted fromplants, the flavor and taste characteristics of such components candeteriorate or degrade over time, thus reducing the desirable taste,flavor, or sensory properties of products to which these components areadded.

[0004] For example, coffee aroma is utilized in a wide variety ofproducts, including instant coffee and ready to drink coffee beveragesas well as coffee flavored foods such as ice cream, baking products, orcandy. But coffee aroma is known to be very unstable. As coffee aromadegrades, it generates unpleasant and non-coffee-like notes that areundesirable. This degradation substantially reduces the perceivedquality of the product. A particular problem is in the storage life ofcoffee concentrates.

[0005] For this reason, special attention must be paid to the storage offlavoring components such as coffee aroma. It has been found that theshelf life of a coffee product can be substantially improved by holdingor retaining the coffee aroma separately from the from the coffee solidsduring storage and then combining these components immediately prior tothe preparation of the beverage for consumption. This is described inU.S. Pat. No. 6,319,537. Although this separate storage techniquereduces the amount of degradation of the coffee aroma during storage,some degradation still occurs and the final combined product may yetcontain non-coffee flavors that detract from the perception of qualityin the final product.

[0006] The prior art recognizes that various flavor protective agentscan be added to food or beverage products in order to preserve,maintain, or improve the flavor characteristics of such products overtime. It is well known in the art that sulfites can be added tobeverages such as beer or wine to preserve the flavor of such beverages.Generally, sulfites act as antioxidants to prevent deterioration of theflavor. For example, sulfites can react with oxygen to preventdeterioration of the flavor of the product due to oxidation of theflavoring component.

[0007] Also, Japanese patent application 08/196212 discloses theaddition of a sulfite to a coffee beverage when liquid is added toreconstitute the beverage. This is not very effective as the sulfitesimply dissolves in the beverage without significantly enhancing orpreserving the aroma because the sulfite is added into the whole foodmatrix and is integrated therein.

[0008] Instead of adding the sulfites directly to food products, U.S.Pat. No. 4,536,409 discloses that sulfites may be incorporated into thepackaging to prevent absorption of oxygen into the packaged food. Again,oxidation of the flavor component is reduced so that the desired flavorof the food is retained for a longer period of time.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,889 discloses that methyl mercaptan can beadded to an aqueous extract of soluble coffee solids prior to drying theextract to a stable moisture content for improving the flavor of thisextract when it is reconstituted as a coffee beverage.

[0010] Despite these disclosures, there still remains a need forstabilization of volatile flavoring components in order to preservetheir ability to impart the desired flavor, taste, and other sensorycharacteristics to foods to which they are added. The present inventionnow provides a number of practical solutions that satisfy this need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention relates to a stabilized aroma-providingcomponent comprising an aroma-providing component and a stabilizingagent that is present in an amount sufficient to chemically interactwith compounds in the aroma-providing component to (a) provide increasedamounts of desirable compounds that impart desirable flavor or sensorycharacteristics to the aroma or (b) reduce the amount of undesirablecompounds that suppress desirable flavor characteristics or thatcontribute to or generate undesirable flavor or sensory characteristicsin the aroma. In a preferred embodiment, the stabilized aroma-providingcomponent is present in an amount sufficient to chemically react withundesirable compounds in the aroma-providing component to (a) retain asignificant portion of one or more desirable flavor or sensorycharacteristics of the aroma in the aroma-providing component duringstorage, or (b) reduce off flavor generation during storage of thearoma-providing component. The aroma-providing component is capable ofproviding an aroma upon formation of a food or beverage product with itsaroma exhibiting the desirable flavor or sensory characteristics evenafter long term storage of the aroma-providing component.

[0012] The component can be in the form of a gas, liquid or powder, withthe stabilizing agent preferably being a compound that contains at leastone atom having at least one lone pair of electrons. The compoundadvantageously contains at least one atom of sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen orcarbon and is generally present in an amount of between about 1 and50,000 ppm.

[0013] Preferred stabilizing agents include SO₂, a sulfite or asubstance that contains or generates a sulfite, a thiol, an amine or anamino acid. The stabilizing agent may comprise cysteine or glutathioneor a salt thereof, or it may be an enzyme. Also, an antioxidant may beprovided with the stabilizing agent in the aroma-providing component toreduce or prevent oxidation of compounds that provide the desirableflavor or sensory characteristics of the aroma.

[0014] The component can also include one or more additional componentsor substances that contribute to the desirable flavor or sensorycharacteristics of the aroma or that mask off flavors in thearoma-providing component. For example, the additional component(s) orsubstance(s) can include thiols or compounds that generate thiols whichcontribute to the desirable characteristics of the aroma. When theundesirable compounds generate or comprise free radicals, thestabilizing agent can be present in an amount sufficient to reducegeneration of or scavenge such free radicals, or can include anantioxidant to reduce generation of or scavenge free radicals in thearoma-providing component.

[0015] Suitable aroma-providing components for stabilization accordingto the invention include chocolate or cocoa aroma, tea aroma, malt,Maillard reaction products, and most preferably coffee aroma, or anycombination thereof. For these, the stabilizing agent is added in anamount sufficient to react with some or all of the carbonyl groupspresent in compounds associated with those aromas to reduce or inhibitpyrrole loss or to reduce or inhibit degradation of thiols, thusretaining the desirable flavor or sensory characteristics during atleast six months of storage.

[0016] The invention also relates to a foodstuff comprising a firstcomponent of a food, beverage, a food-forming component or abeverage-forming component, and a second component of the stabilizedaroma-providing component of the invention. The stabilizedaroma-providing component is associated with the first component in anamount sufficient to release an aroma that provides desirable flavor orsensory characteristics to the foodstuff. Generally, the stabilizedaroma-providing component retains the desirable flavor or sensorycharacteristic of the aroma for at least six months during storage. Foroptimum results, the stabilized aroma-providing component is packagedseparately from the first component in a container.

[0017] The foodstuff can further include a liquid for reconstitutionprior to consumption, and can be in the form of a solution, suspension,dispersion or slurry formed by combining the liquid with the foodstuffand stabilized aroma-providing component. It also can be in the form ofa powder obtained by drying the solution, suspension, dispersion orslurry, with the powder being stored until a later time when it isreconstituted as a beverage for consumption by the addition of a liquid.

[0018] The foodstuff may be in powder form to facilitate handling andstorage.

[0019] Also, the foodstuff may be frozen to retard the release ofvolatiles from the aroma-providing component.

[0020] Another way to delay the release of volatiles is to encapsulatethe aroma-providing component, provide it in the form of an emulsion, orassociate it with a carrier. In a preferred embodiment, the stabilizingagent is present in the stabilized aroma-providing component in anamount effective to provide a controlled release of the desirable flavoror sensory characteristics of the aroma over a period of between 3 and25 minutes after reconstitution. While the strength of the aromainitially is not as great as that released from an unstabilizedcomponent, it is sustained for a longer duration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] As used herein, the term “aroma-providing component” means acompound or other component that is added to other food orbeverage-forming components to form a final product for consumption. Thearoma providing component may be isolated, concentrated, or separatedfrom other food or beverage forming components prior to treatment, andis added back after the stabilizing treatment. The aroma providingcomponent is then capable of providing a more desirable aroma when afood or beverage product is prepared. Typically, aroma providingcomponents of the invention include an aroma such as coffee aroma,chocolate aroma, cocoa, malt, tea aroma, or Maillard reaction productsthereof, or any combination thereof.

[0022] As used herein, the term “storage” means the retention of acomponent or product in final form after preparation of same untilpurchase by consumers. Generally, storage times are on the order of atleast 1-3 months, typically at least six months and as long as one year.

[0023] As used herein the term “significant portion” is defined as anamount of a desirable aroma, flavor or other organoleptic characteristicthat can be sensed or perceived by one who consumes a food or beverageproduct to which an aroma-providing ingredient according to theinvention has been added or incorporated.

[0024] As used herein, “coffee aroma” is defined to be the volatileflavor and aroma compounds that are present in coffee products such asroast coffee or coffee extracts. Thus, the invention provides a methodto stabilize coffee aroma by contact with one or more of the stabilizingagents described herein so as to reduce or prevent degradation or lossof the coffee aroma over time. These stabilizing agents can also beutilized to delay or control the release of the aroma after the beverageis prepared for consumption. All these effects whether alone or togetherresult in the perception, by the consumer, of a more desirable beverage,e.g., one that maintains a preserved fresh, roasty aroma and flavor overthe entire time that the beverage is being consumed rather than justupon initial preparation of the beverage.

[0025] As used herein, the term “desirable flavor or sensorycharacteristics” refer to the flavor, aroma, or other organolepticproperties of a food or beverage product that is reminiscent of afreshly prepared product for consumption.

[0026] As used herein, the term “undesirable compounds” refer to thevolatile compounds in of a aroma-providing component that promote thedegradation of the useful volatile compounds that contribute todesirable flavor or sensory characteristics.

[0027] The association of a stabilizing agent with an aroma-providingcomponent results in a stabilized aroma-providing component that hasnumber of advantages. First of all, deleterious compounds that arenormally present with the aroma-providing component react complex, orare scavenged by the stabilizing agent. Also, compounds that can detractfrom the desirable flavor or sensory characteristics also react or formadducts or complexes with the stabilizing agent. Finally, desirablecompounds are often released by such reactions. In addition to removingor masking undesirable compounds, the increased amounts of desirablecompounds enhances the perceived freshness and desirability of the foodor beverage from which the aroma emanates.

[0028] Generally, these detrimental components are carbonyl groupscontained in compounds such as aldehydes or ketones. The stabilizingagent reacts with these carbonyl groups to form adducts which do notreact with the other aroma-providing components to decrease the overallflavor characteristics. The proportion of adducted carbonyls ranges from10% to 100% of total carbonyls, and the pyrroles and methane thiol areretained at more than about 30% of their initial concentrations during 6months to one year storage of the aroma at ambient temperature. Thepreferred stabilizing agents also act as or include anti-oxidants oroxygen/free radical scavengers to prevent deterioration of the flavorcharacteristics of the coffee aroma due to oxidation from oxygen, freeradicals or other oxidizing compounds. The preferred agents can alsocleavage disulfide bond to promote levels of thiols that are thenpreserved by the endogenous antioxidant activity. All together, theyensure the quality of the resulting products to be not only moreroasty/sulfury and less woody/green/groundsy/processey but also morestable over time.

[0029] While the most preferred aroma is coffee aroma, thearoma-providing component in this invention is intended to be a genericdefinition of all types of aromas, including those aromas in aqueous orwater, oil, emulsion, forms, as well as those which are encapsulated,and the like. Specific mention can be made of chocolate or cocoa aroma,tea aroma, malt, Maillard reaction flavor, or other aromas that arederived from or recovered after roasting or cooking of a raw material,foodstuff or other compounds.

[0030] The principles of the invention are now illustrated for thepreferred embodiments where coffee aroma is disclosed as the mostpreferred aroma-providing component. Coffee aroma is used for aflavoring agent for various foods or beverages and particularly insoluble coffee, coffee concentrate and ready to drink coffee beveragesto enhance the flavor, taste, and other sensory characteristics of thesebeverages.

[0031] There are a number of known methods for obtaining coffee aroma,and any can be utilized in this invention. Typical methods include, butare not limited to, standard instant coffee processing in whichstripping, gas flushing, or other methods are used to generate andrecover the aroma, the collection of gases from the grinding, heating,cooking, or other processing steps, or the extraction of the aroma fromany of the processing liquids. Extraction techniques include, but arenot limited to, liquid/liquid extraction, CO₂ extraction, oilextraction, stripping, distillation, fractionation, flashing, or gasflushing of the processing liquid to obtain the aroma.

[0032] As noted above, there are a number of different stabilizingagents that can be used in this invention. These agents can be usedalone or in combination.

[0033] Also, a single agent can be applied to the aroma-providingcomponent at different and multiple times.

[0034] These agents generally include any compounds that include one ormore atoms that have at least one set of unpaired electrons. Typicalatoms that have this property are sulfur or nitrogen although others canbe used if desired. The properties of those atoms are commonly definedand known. Preferred stabilizing agents include sulfur dioxide (SO₂),sulfites, and compounds that generate or contain thiols, amines, oramino acids. Specifically preferred compounds include any FDA generallyregarded as safe (GRAS) sulfiting agent, such as SO₂, sodium andpotassium sulfites, sodium and potassium metabisulfites, or sodium orpotassium bisulfites. Sulfur containing amino acids, such as cysteine,homocysteine and their salts, whether used alone or in peptides orproteins, are also advantageous, as is glutathione. Materials thatcontain or generate sulfites or thiols, such as yeasts or yeastextracts, can also be used.

[0035] Nucleophiles such as sulfite and cysteine react reversibly andselectively with carbonyls. In addition, sulfites and cysteine are agood antioxidants and free-radical scavengers. They also react withdisulfides to generate free thiols. Such thiols can also impartdesirable roasty coffee notes to the aroma or can be used to mask coffeenegative notes such as woody, processey or groundsy notes and even staleor oxidized notes of stored products. Due to these endogenousantioxidant activities, the degradation of thiols and pyrroles arereduced or inhibited. As thiols provide a desirable roasty, nutty noteto the aroma, the retention of thiols in the aroma is beneficial.

[0036] Generally, depending upon the type of stabilizing agent, it isassociated with the flavoring component so that the compound is presentin an amount of about 1 ppm to 50,000 ppm in the flavoring component. Amost preferred agent is sodium sulfite. Depending on the concentrationof the flavoring component, it is used at a level of about 500 ppm to1,000 ppm when 80 grams of aroma distillate is isolated from 100 gramsof R&G coffee; or between about 4000 to 8000 ppm when 10 grams of aromadistillate is produced from 100 grams of roast and ground (“R&G”)coffee. The ratio of stabilizing agent to flavor compounds (based onpure organic compounds measured in this art) may be in the range ofabout 0.1:1 to 32:1 and is preferably about 2:1 to 20:1.

[0037] The aroma concentration and its constituents are determined by aconventional analytical method. Generally, a headspace volatile profilewas completed using a CDS 6000 purge and trap device, an Archon purgeand trap auto-sampler device, and a HP 6890 GC/HP 5973 MS. The purge andtrap procedure involves bubbling an inert gas (helium) through adistillate sample at ambient temperature allowing the volatilecomponents to be efficiently transferred from the aqueous phase to thevapor phase. The vapor is swept through a Tenax column (CDS analyticalpart no. 30E35063), where the volatile components are trapped. Thetrapped components are rapidly heated and back-flushed with helium todesorb the volatile analytes onto a cryogenic focusing module. Thecryogenic focusing module is rapidly heated to desorb the volatileanalytes onto a gas chromatographic. The gas chromatographic column isheated to elute the components, which are detected with a HP 5973 massspectrometer. The aroma compounds is measured as ppm equivalent ofmethylbutyrate.

[0038] The addition of the stabilizing agent has been found to extendthe shelf life of coffee aroma so as to allow the aroma, after storagefor extended periods of time, to retain a flavor which is reminiscent offreshly brewed coffee in various coffee beverages that are reconstitutedafter storage of the aroma. Without being bound by theory, it isbelieved that several mechanisms are occurring to achieve the stabilityand increased storage life of the fresh flavor, with one or acombination of these mechanisms occurring simultaneously to achieve theimprovements:

[0039] the stabilizing agent reacts with carbonyl groups contained incompounds such as aldehydes or ketones to form adducts which do notreact with the other coffee aroma compounds to decrease the overallflavor characteristics;

[0040] the stabilizing agent cleavages disulfide bonds to promote levelsof desirable free thiols; or

[0041] the stabilizing agent acts as an oxygen scavenger to preventdeterioration of the flavor characteristics of the coffee aroma due tooxidation; or

[0042] the stabilizing agent acts as an anti-oxidant to prevent freeradicals and other oxidizing compounds from deteriorating the flavorcharacteristics of the aroma due to oxidation; or

[0043] these endogenous antioxidant activities preserve thiol andpyrrole degradation over time; or

[0044] the stabilizing agent reduces or controls undesirable browning,polymerization, or condensation reactions; or.

[0045] The stabilizing agent binds carbonyls during storage at leastsome or all of which are released upon reconstitution into beverage.

[0046] In addition, the presence of aldehydes, such as acetaldehyde,causes the flavors to degrade. The stabilizing agent reacts with thealdehyde to form aldehyde derivatives that do not negatively impact thestability of the coffee aroma-providing component. For this reason,C-nucleophiles, such as 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and various thiazoliumsalts are particularly useful stabilizing agents. For example, thiamin(Vitamin B1) is known to react with aldehydes to form aldehydederivatives component that do not deleteriously affect the coffee-aromaproviding component.

[0047] In conventional non-treated or non-stabilized coffee aroma, theamounts of methanethiol and pyrrole typically degrade or diminish toalmost undetectable levels over the course of several months when thecomponents are stored at room temperature. Even if the stabilizer isadded to the final product that contains a non-stabilized aromaproviding component, these volatiles are substantially degraded becausethe stabilizer is added to the whole food matrix and is integratedtherewith so that less of it is available to interact with thearoma-providing component. In contrast, the treated or stabilizedaroma-providing components of the invention are characterized by asignificantly reduced degradation profile compared to the conventionalcomponents. The methane thiol and pyrrole levels remain at more than 30%of the initial levels after storage at ambient temperature over a periodof at least 6 months.

[0048] A shelf storage study of coffee aroma with the use of sodiumsulfite as a stabilizing agent has shown that a significant amount ofcarbonyls (aldehydes and ketones) were bound with the sulfite to becomenon-volatile and thus absent from the headspace of a container thatcontained coffee aroma distillate. Also, a significant increase ofmethanethiol was detected after sulfite addition. After one-year ambienttemperature storage, two of the most reactive groups of coffee aromacompounds, pyrrole and thiols, were preserved to a level of more than80%.

[0049] To illustrate the effect of a stabilizing agent on coffee aroma,1 g of sodium sulfite was added to 1000 g of coffee aroma distillate,the ingredients were mixed and then placed into a sealed bottle. Theamounts of various compounds in the head space of the bottle wasdetermined before addition of the sulfite and again after two days. Theresults show that upon treatment the initial amount of aldehyde anddiketone compounds decreased by about 40% each while the amount of thiolcompounds increased and the amount of pyrrole compounds remained thesame over that period. As the thiols provide a desirable roasty note tothe aroma, the presence of a greater amount of these compounds imparteda more roasty note to the aroma. The maintenance of the pyrroles alsoprovided a nutty note to the aroma. Finally, undesirable flavors werereduced due to the lower amounts of aldehydes and diketones.

[0050] Also, a comparison of these compounds after 6 months storage ofthe stabilized aroma-providing component was found to be as shown inTable I: TABLE I Headspace Aroma Concentrations in Coffee AromaDistillate Storage Control Frozen Sulfite time (stored (stored (stored(months) at 20 C.) at −40 C.) at 20 C.) Pyrrole 0 0.63 0.63 0.60 2 0.000.53 0.65 6 0.00 0.34 0.59 Aldehydes 0 5.94 5.94 3.33 2 6.40 5.65 3.73 65.33 5.19 3.54 Diketones 0 0.83 0.83 0.46 2 0.94 0.82 0.49 6 0.80 0.810.46 Methanethiol 0 1.73 1.73 1.81 6 0.00 1.35 1.93

[0051] Table II shows the long term storage effect of the preferredsodium sulfite stabilizer on coffee distillate by comparing data takenat 2 months and 12 months after storage. TABLE II Headspace AromaConcentrations in Coffee Aroma Distillate Storage Control Frozen Sulfitetime (stored (stored (stored (months) at 20 C.) at −40 C.) at 20 C.)Pyrrole 2 0.05 0.44 0.40 12 0.00 0.21 0.39 Aldehydes 2 7.49 7.92 1.58 127.0 7.4 1.19 Diketones 2 0.93 1.08 0.44 12 0.96 0.99 0.34 Methanethiol 20.47 1.49 1.93 12 0.15 1.28 1.90

[0052] The results show that the frozen aroma lost only half as muchpyrrole as did the control, but the stabilized aroma maintained pyrrolelevels. Finally, the frozen aroma lost only 15% in methanethiol comparedto a loss of about 67% for the control, while the stabilize aroma showedno change.

[0053] Thus, the stabilized aroma-providing components of the inventionare characterized as having the following contents of volatilecompounds:

[0054] Pyrroles: essentially all retained after 1 month: at least about60 to 90% retained after 3 months and at least 30 to 50% of originalretained after 1 year storage, or

[0055] Thiols: at least as much as or more that original amount after 1month; greater that 60 to 90% after 3 months with more than 40 to 50% oforiginal retained after 1 year storage, or

[0056] Aldehydes and ketones: removed or bound by at least about 30% andup to as much as 50 to 90% from the original amount at all relevantmeasurement time periods.

[0057] Instead of sulfites, other compounds that contain or releasethiols, amines or amino acids can be utilized. As noted herein, cysteineand glutathione are useful stabilizing agents although they are not aseffective for longer storage times. These amino acids can be used addedin the form of peptides or proteins that contain them.

[0058] Also, various enzymes, and preferably those that react withcarbonyls, may also be used as stabilizing agents. For instanceacetaldehyde may be enzymatically converted to ethanol using an alcoholdehydrogenase, thereby reducing or eliminating the reactive aldehydethat can degrade the flavoring components. One way to perform thisreaction is to add an enzyme and its cofactor. Another class of enzymes,known as transketolase enzymes, use thiamine pyrophosphate as cofactorand catalyzes the transfer of activated aldehydes to an aldehydereceptor resulting in ketose-sugars. The aldehydes may be partiallytransformed into acyloins or blocked by the nucleophilic attack of thethiazolium-ring, depending on the reaction conditions. The thiaminreaction proceeds as follows:

[0059] Thus, transketolases and pyruvate decarboxylases may alsodecrease the aldehyde concentration in the flavoring components. Insteadof pure enzymes, extracts of yeast may also be utilized and arepreferable due to their low cost. Polymer supported systems may also beused in place of the enzymes and their required cofactors.

[0060] The stabilizing agent may be associated with the aroma-providingflavoring component by any one of a variety of methods. The aroma oraroma distillate itself can simply be contacted with the stabilizingagent at the amounts stated herein to form a mixture with thestabilizing agent. When sulfites are used, an appropriate dosage rangewould be that which provides about 1 ppm to 50,000 ppm of sulfite perunit weight of aroma or aroma distillate. Preferably, the ratio ofsodium sulfite to aroma volatile compounds is preferably from about 2:1to 20:1. Depending upon the specific stabilizing agent used, theseamounts can vary but the optimum amounts can be readily determined byone of ordinary skill in the art through routine testing.

[0061] Alternatively, the stabilizing agent can be associated with oradded to the aroma-providing component as a powder, liquid, or as a gas.

[0062] The treated or stabilized aroma-providing component may beretained in a variety of forms. Preferably, the stabilized component isretained in a pure form and is stored separately from the food productto which it will later be added. A preferred storage embodiment forcoffee aroma is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,537, the content ofwhich is expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto. Of course,separate storage is useful for extending the storage life of stabilizedaroma-providing components from other food or beverage items as well.

[0063] The stabilizing agent can contact the aroma-providing componentin any one of a variety of methods. When the stabilizing agent andaroma-providing component are in the same form, i.e., both are solids,liquids or gases, simple mixing can be used with sufficient agitation ortime provided to enable the stabilizing agent to adduct or inactivatethe detrimental carbonyl containing compounds, or to scavenge oxygen orother free radicals to prevent oxidation or other deterioration of theflavor characteristics of the aroma.

[0064] When the stabilizing agent and aroma-providing component are indifferent forms, they can be associated with each other in a way thatefficiently and effectively utilizes the different forms. For example,if one is a solid or liquid and the other is a gas, a treatment chambercan be provided where the gas is bubbled through the liquid or aroundthe solid to achieve the adducting of carbonyl groups or the scavengingof oxygen or other free radicals. The stabilized aroma-providingcomponent can then be recovered and, in the most preferred arrangement,separately stored from the food or beverage or food or beverage formingcomponent to which it is to be added when that component is to beprepared for consumption. When the specific gravities or otherproperties are sufficiently distinct, countercurrent flow processing canbe used, followed by recovery of stabilized aroma-providing component.

[0065] Another desirable application of different forms of thecomponents can be utilized when the aroma-providing component is aliquid or gas and the stabilizing agent is a solid. The stabilizingagent can be incorporated onto a porous support, such as a membrane orfilter, and the aroma-providing component can be directed to passadjacent to, around, or even through the membrane or filter. Thisenables the stabilizing agent to react with, scavenge or bind to theundesirable compounds in the aroma-providing agent. Typical materialsfor such membranes and filters include paper or permeable plastics orfilms into or upon which the stabilizing agent is incorporated, coatedor otherwise associated. It is also possible to configure solidstabilizing agents in the form of porous materials through or aroundwhich the gaseous or liquid aroma-providing component will pass toachieve the desired adducting or scavenging results.

[0066] Alternatively and preferably, the stabilizing agent can be placedinto or upon the walls of a package or container which is to be used toseparately store the aroma-providing component, thus achieving thedesired adducting or scavenging during storage by simply placing thearoma-providing component into the package or container wherein it cancontact the stabilizing agent. The stabilizing agent can be simplyplaced in the compartment as a powder or liquid, it can be provided inthe form of a small permeable pouch, such as a “tea bag” or otherpermeable enclosure, or it can be incorporated in a separate compartmentwhich has a permeable cover to enable the aroma-providing component tocontact the stabilizer therein. One of ordinary skill in the art candetermine he most effective way to arrange the package or container sothat the aroma-providing component and stabilizing agent can come intocontact with each other. If desired, the stabilizing component can beadded both to the aroma-providing component and to the package to whichit is added.

[0067] It has been found that the stabilized aroma-providing componentor the stabilizing agent and aroma-providing component combination canbe stored at room temperature for extended periods of time withoutsignificant loss of the desirable aroma at the time when the product ismade for consumption. The maintenance of the desirable notes for aperiod of at least six months and even longer is easily achieved forcoffee aroma with similar benefits obtainable for other aromas. Thestabilization of the aroma-providing component can often lead to newaroma: one that is different from the conventionally expected aroma butwhich is generally perceived as being superior to the conventionalaroma. Stabilized coffee aroma, for example, provides more intense, moreroasty notes than conventional coffee. Again, this superior aroma ismaintained for a period of at least six months to one year when storedat room temperature.

[0068] For maintaining these enhanced or superior aroma characteristicsfor even longer times, storage at temperatures below ambient can beused. Temperatures as low as 10° C., or even 0° C. or lower can be usedfor this purpose. Generally, storage stability for more than one year atroom temperature is sufficient for many aroma-providing components sothat lower temperature storage is not necessary. The person of ordinaryskill in the art can determine by routine testing the optimum storagetemperature for retaining the effective aroma characteristics for thedesired time periods depending upon the specific aroma-providingcomponent, stabilizing agent, and required aroma properties afterstorage.

[0069] For example, consider an aroma-providing component that is notstabilized but which is stored separately from the food or beverage.This component can retain the desired aroma characteristics for a periodof at least 8 to 10 weeks at room temperature compared to around threeweeks for aroma-providing components that are stored with the food orbeverage product. In comparison, stabilized aroma-providing productsretain desirable aroma characteristics for a period of at least sixmonths to one year or even longer.

[0070] It has also been found that the stabilized aroma-providingcomponents of the invention provide a controlled and prolonged releaseof aroma after the beverage or food product is prepared for consumption.When a beverage or food product is prepared for consumption, the aromafrom a stabilized aroma-providing component is not released in the sameway as that from an unstabilized aroma-providing component. Depending onthe nature of the aroma compound, only approximately 65% to 90% of thearoma compound is released compared to that of the unstabilizedcomponent. This reduced level of release is observed mainly for carbonylcompounds whereas thiols are released to more than 100% typicallybetween 110 to 140%. The release is also maintained, however, for alonger period of time of at least 3 to 20 and preferably 6 to 15 minutesat 60° C. after the food or beverage is prepared for consumption,compared to a maintenance of release of only about 1 to 5 minutes for anunstabilized aroma-providing product. This contributes to the finalperception that the food or beverage product has improved sensorycharacteristics and an improved quality to stand for a sustained time,thus providing the consumer with a more appealing food or beverageproduct for a significantly longer time during consumption. Dependingupon the specific type of food or beverage product, as well as thespecific type of stabilizing agent and stabilizing treatment time, therelease of the desirable sensory characteristics of the aroma can besustained over a period of from about 3 to 25 minutes. Obviously, largerquantities of the food or beverage product, such as a soup or entiremeal, would prefer to have the longer release time for the aroma,whereas for small quantities, such as espresso coffee, it would beappropriate to utilize the shorter aroma retention time because of theshorter time it would take to consume such products.

[0071] The time of treatment of the aroma-providing component and thestabilizing agent is also a consideration. Also, the relative amounts ofstabilizing agent and aroma-providing component play a factor in this.Of course, the more stabilizing agent and the longer treatment timesthat are used, the more carbonyl groups form adducts and the more oxygenor free radicals are scavenged. Depending upon the intended storage timeand temperature, it may not be necessary to remove all of the oxygen andfree radicals, nor to adduct all of the carbonyls. Again, one ofordinary skill in the art can best select the relative amounts of thecomponents, the treatment times and the storage temperatures so that thestabilized aroma-providing component can provide the optimum flavorcharacteristics to the intended product at the eventual time of use.

[0072] As noted above, the stabilized aroma-providing component can bestored for a longer period of time with retention of the desirableorganoleptic characteristics of the aroma. It has also been discoveredthat these desirable characteristics are obtainable even when the foodor beverage product is prepared for immediate consumption. The additionof a stabilizing agent to coffee during preparation results in moreroasty/sulfury/nutty notes and less woody/green/harsh notes in theproduct so that even the initial product is perceived differently thanan untreated control.

[0073] The form of the stabilized aroma-providing product representsanother feature of the invention. While any form can be used, componentsin a gaseous form present additional handling considerations. While thismay present less of a problem in a commercial setting, such as a café orrestaurant where coffee is purchased for relatively immediateconsumption, it may not be as desirable for home use as the dispensationof a gas into a liquid is not trivial. For this reason, it is preferablefor the aroma-providing component to be in liquid or solid form. Whenthe final product is a liquid that is prepared by the addition of water,milk or other fluids, it is most desirable for the stabilizedaroma-providing component to be in the form of a solid or liquid thatrenders it readily soluble in or mixable with the fluid that is used toprepare the product.

[0074] The provision of the stabilized aroma-providing component as apowder can be achieved in a number of ways. When the stabilizedaroma-providing component is a liquid, it can readily be converted intoa solid by conventional drying techniques such as spray drying or freezedrying using any carriers. In this regard, it is highly desirable toconduct the spray drying or freeze drying operation on a solution ofstabilized aroma-providing component as soon as possible after treatmentby the stabilizing agent so that as much of the aroma in thearoma-providing component can be retained. If desired, the particle sizeof the spray-dried or freeze-dried powder can be varied by grinding orpulverization, with the size that is most desirable being one thatreadily dissolves (i.e., within one minute and preferably within 15-30seconds) after being added to the fluid used to form the consumableproduct.

[0075] A number of different specific beverage-forming components can beimproved by being combined with the stabilized aroma-providingcomponents of the present invention. One product is a coffee concentratein liquid form. For example, the stabilized aroma-providing componentcan be added to the concentrate prior to storage or can be storedseparately until the time of preparation of the beverage. Depending uponthe concentration of coffee in the concentrate, it may be sufficient totreat the concentrate after addition of the aroma-providing component.This method is not as preferred as separate stabilization of thearoma-providing component.

[0076] Another product is ready-to-drink beverages. Here, thearoma-providing component is typically stabilized prior to addition tothe beverage.

[0077] In products that include the stabilized aroma-providing componentwith a food or beverage, it is advantageous to store these products atlower temperatures, i.e., 0-10° C., since this retards the release ofthe desirable volatiles.

[0078] Instead of combining separately dried powders, it is within thescope of this invention to first reconstitute the food or beverageproduct with the stabilized aroma-providing component and thereafterquickly process the resulting product. Freeze-drying or spray-drying canbe used for this purpose, and the drying step is conducted as soon aspractical after reconstitution of the product. One way to do this wouldbe to add the product forming component and stabilized aroma-providingcomponents into a liquid in a venturi or other device that providesacceleration or mixing of the components with the fluid. Thereafter, theliquid product is spray-dried or freeze-dried to a dry powder. Again,the particle size can be controlled to the desired range or subsequentmilling, grinding, pulverizing or other particle size reductiontechniques can be applied. The final product can be stored at roomtemperature for at least six months or even longer at lower temperaturesuntil the time when the product is to be reconstituted. At that time,the aroma is released with essentially the same properties as if theproduct was freshly prepared, thus providing an appealing product forconsumption.

[0079] Although not wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed thatthe stabilization effect in the final aromatized product is effectivebecause the drying step is conducted rapidly after mixing the stabilizedaroma-providing product with the food or beverage forming component in aliquid state at low temperature, preferably 0-10° C. When the stabilizedaroma-providing component is mixed with the food or beverage formingcomponent and the reconstitution liquid, the stabilizing agent isreleased as the aroma is released. As noted above, this process takesbetween 3 and 25 minutes to complete. If the drying process is conductedwithin two minutes, preferably within one minute and more preferablywithin 5 to 30 seconds after reconstitution of the product, the aromabecomes trapped in the product for release at a later time when theproduct is reconstituted. This process is preferred since it avoids theuse of separate drying steps for the stabilized aroma-providingcomponent and the food or beverage component.

[0080] When prepared in this fashion, it is not necessary to retain thestabilized aroma-providing component powder separately from the solidfood or beverage forming components, as the aroma characteristics areretained until a liquid or fluid such as water or milk is added to formthe food or beverage. Again, the storage of the powder or powder mixturecan be made at room temperature or lower, if desired, depending upon theintended time of consumption. This type of arrangement is useful forproducts such as cold or hot powder drinks (i.e., NESQUIK, cocoas,flavored milk powders, or fruit drink mixes); puddings; soup mixes;sauce or gravy mixes; and, of course, all types of instant orready-to-drink coffee products. As noted herein, a significant extensionof the time that desirable aroma characteristics are provided can beobtained by treating the aroma-providing component with the stabilizingcomponent separately before combining the stabilized aroma-providingcomponent with the food or beverage forming component. Of course,separate storage of these components provides even longer retention ofthe desirable aroma characteristics during storage, particularly whenthe stabilized aroma-providing component is stored at low (i.e., belowfreezing) temperatures The resulting food or beverage product, afterreconstitution, is perceived to have a fresher, more desirable aromaboth after the product is reconstituted as well as over the entireconsumption period of, e.g., 5 to 15 minutes.

[0081] Many of the stabilizing agents disclosed herein also areeffective free-radical scavengers, so that a sufficient amount of thestabilizing agent is added to also scavenge free radicals. It is alsopossible to assist the stabilizing agent by including a knownantioxidant for this purpose. Preferred antioxidants include vitamin Cand other ascorbates, tocopherols, and the like, and these are providedin an amount effective to reduce or prevent oxidation of compounds thatprovide the desirable flavor or sensory characteristics of the aroma.

[0082] In another embodiment, the stabilizing agent can be combined withanother additive prior to being associated with the aroma-providingcomponent. A wide range of different additives can be used for thispurpose. Many of these additives can serve a second function as acarrier for the stabilizing agent. The additive can be in a solid orliquid form, and can be a solvent such as water, an oil such as MCT oilor other triglycerides, an emulsion, either water-in-oil oroil-in-water, a flavoring agent, a carbohydrate, a protein, or anantioxidant. Preferred antioxidants for use with coffee and tea aromaare catechins and polyphenols. Additional flavoring agent are typicallyutilized in very small amounts and are considered as microcomponentadditives, whereas carbohydrates, such as sugar and maltodextrin, areadded in significantly greater amounts. The antioxidants mentioned aboveare also suitable candidates for use as carriers for the stabilizingagent or the stabilized aroma-providing component. The stabilizedcomponent may also be incorporated in a matrix of oil, water, or othersolvents, provided as an emulsion, encapsulated in other ediblematerials by techniques that are generally known in the art, may befrozen as a frost or dried to powder form prior to storage.

EXAMPLES

[0083] The following examples are presented to illustrate the mostpreferred embodiments of the invention.

Example 1

[0084] A roast and ground (“R&G”) coffee is extracted with water to formcoffee extract. The extract is passed through a steam stripping columnwhere the volatile flavor/aroma components are stripped out, condensedand collected as aroma distillate, with about 80 g aroma distillatecollected per 100 g of R&G coffee.

[0085] The stripped extract is then concentrated to a solids level ofabout 55% to provide a coffee base concentrate. A small amount of sodiumhydroxide is added to this coffee base concentrate at 0.1% by weight ofcoffee solids to minimize the acidity development during storage. Thisfinal coffee base concentrate is stored separately from the aromadistillate until being used to formulate a beverage.

[0086] A stabilizing agent of sodium sulfite (Na₂SO₃) is used; 1 g ofsodium sulfite in powder form is added to 1000 g of the distillate. Thisprovides a dosage of 508 ppm (or 0.508 g) of SO₂ equivalent of sodiumsulfite.

[0087] The sodium sulfite powder is mixed with the distillate withsufficient agitation to dissolve the sulfite into the distillate liquid.The resulting solution is stored in a sealed container without oxygenheadspace that prevents the aroma from permeating out and that preventsexcessive amount of oxygen from degrading the aroma.

[0088] Both the aroma distillate and the coffee base concentrate arestored separately at room temperature for a period of 6 months. In orderto prepare a beverage for consumption, the coffee base concentrate isthen mixed with the aroma distillate and hot water is added to themixture. Upon consumption, the resulting beverage is found to have aflavor that is reminiscent of fresh coffee. In addition, such flavor iseven less woody/groundsy/processey than fresh coffee and free of storageoff notes despite the relatively long storage time.

Example 2

[0089] Sodium sulfite is incorporated in a permeable film that is placedto form a liner for a storage container. The container is then filledwith a liquid distillate stream that is obtained according to Example 1and the container is sealed. The sodium sulfite permeates through thefilm and into the distillate at an amount of about 0.1%. This occursduring storage of the distillate in the sealed container at roomtemperature for a period of 6 months. Coffee solids are stored at roomtemperature separately from the distillate but for the same time period.The coffee solids are then mixed with the distillate and hot water isadded to the mixture to form a beverage. Upon consumption, the resultingbeverage is found to have a flavor that is reminiscent of fresh coffee,again despite the relatively long storage time.

Example 3

[0090] Sodium sulfite is incorporated in a pouch made of paper tea bagand is placed in the storage container of Example 1. The container isthen filled with a liquid distillate stream that is obtained accordingto Example 1 and the container is sealed. The sodium sulfite graduallyinfuses into the distillate during storage of the container at roomtemperature for a period of 6 months. Coffee solids are stored at roomtemperature separately from the distillate but for the same time period.The coffee solids are then mixed with the distillate and hot water isadded to the mixture to form a beverage. Upon consumption, the resultingbeverage has a flavor that is reminiscent of fresh coffee.

Example 4

[0091] An aroma distillate stream is obtained according to Example 1.Gaseous sulfur dioxide is bubbled through the distillate. This providesa equivalent of 500 ppm SO₂ in the aroma distillate. The treateddistillate is stored in the sealed container of Example 1 at roomtemperature for a period of 6 months. Coffee solids are stored at roomtemperature separately from the distillate but for the same time period.The coffee solids are then mixed with the distillate and hot water isadded to the mixture to form a beverage. Upon consumption, the resultingbeverage is found to have a flavor that is reminiscent of fresh coffee.

Example 5

[0092] 1 g sodium sulfite powder is mixed with 1000 g of the distillateof Example 1 with sufficient agitation to dissolve the sulfite into thedistillate liquid. The distillate is then mixed with less than 1% coffeesolids by weight and the resulting mixture is stored in a sealedcontainer at room temperature for a period of 6 months. Separatelystored coffee solids are then mixed with the aroma mixture, andthereafter, hot water is added to the mixture to form a beverage. Uponconsumption, the beverage is found to have a flavor that is reminiscentof fresh coffee.

Example 6 (Comparative)

[0093] Coffee aroma distillate is collected from 2000 g of R&G coffee asin Example 1. The aroma distillate is mixed with coffee base concentrateand the mixture is stored at room temperature for 6 months. The mixtureis then added to hot water to form a beverage. Upon consumption, theresulting beverage is found to have a poor flavor resembling stalecoffee.

Example 7 (Comparative)

[0094] Coffee aroma distillate is collected from a quantity of R&Gcoffee as in Example 1. The aroma distillate is stored separately fromthe R&G coffee solids for 6 months. Thereafter, the distillate is mixedwith coffee solids and the mixture is then added to hot water to form abeverage. Upon consumption, the resulting beverage is found to have aflavor that is of a lower quality than those for the beverages ofExamples 1 to 5 but better than Example 6.

Example 8

[0095] The stabilized coffee aroma of Examples 1 to 5 can beencapsulated to form capsules that are stable and easy to handle so thatthey can be added to the coffee solids at any time during the beveragepreparation process. The encapsulated aroma can be added to solids thatare already in soluble powder form or can be added as flavoring to aready to drink beverage or other food product, for example an ice creamcomposition.

Example 9

[0096] Various food products, including powdered coffee mixes, ready todrink beverages, ice-cream, and candy, can be formulated withappropriate amounts of the stabilized coffee aroma of Examples 1 to 5and 8.

Example 10

[0097] R&G coffee is extracted with water to form coffee extract. Theextract is passed through a steam stripping column where the volatileflavor/aroma components are stripped out, condensed and collected asaroma distillate.

[0098] The stripped extract is then concentrated to a solids level ofabout 55% to provide a coffee base concentrate. A small amount of sodiumhydroxide is added to this coffee base concentrate at 0.1% by weight ofcoffee solids to minimize the acidity development during storage. Thisfinal coffee base concentrate is stored separately from the aromadistillate until being used to formulate a beverage.

[0099] A stabilizing agent of cysteine is used; 1 g in powder form isadded to 1000 g of the distillate. The cysteine powder is mixed with thedistillate with sufficient agitation to dissolve the cysteine into thedistillate liquid. The resulting solution is stored in a sealedcontainer that prevents the aroma from permeating out and oxygen fromentering.

[0100] Both the aroma distillate and the coffee base concentrate arestored separately in separate containers at room temperature for aperiod of 6 months. In order to prepare a beverage for consumption, thecoffee base concentrate is then mixed with the aroma distillate and hotwater is added to the mixture. Upon consumption, the resulting beverageis found to have a flavor that is reminiscent of fresh coffee, despitethe relatively long storage time.

Example 11

[0101] The stabilized coffee aroma of Example 10 can be encapsulated toform capsules that are stable and easy to handle so that they can beadded to the coffee solids at any time during the beverage preparationprocess. The encapsulated aroma is added as a flavoring to a ready todrink chocolate beverage to form a coffee-flavored hot chocolate drink.

Example 12

[0102] An aroma distillate stream is obtained according to Example 1.The carbonyls are reduced or removed by enzyme, yeast extract, orfurther distillation. Then, 5-10 ppm of SO₂ equivalent of sodium sulfitepowder and 200 μm of catechin are mixed with the distillate withsufficient agitation to dissolve the sulfite and catechin into thedistillate liquid. The resulting solution is stored in a sealedcontainer without oxygen headspace that prevents the aroma frompermeating out and that prevents excessive amount of oxygen fromdegrading the aroma.

[0103] Both the aroma distillate and the coffee base concentrate arestored separately at room temperature for a period of 6 months. In orderto prepare a beverage for consumption, the coffee base concentrate isthen mixed with the aroma distillate and hot water is added to themixture. Upon consumption, the resulting beverage is found to have aflavor that is reminiscent of fresh coffee.

[0104] While the preceding Examples were specifically directed to thetreatment and stabilization of coffee aroma, it will be immediatelyrealized by one of ordinary skill in the art that aroma distillates fromother sources as well as other aroma-providing components that containaldehydes, pyrroles and other carbonyl-containing compounds may betreated in essentially the same manner in order to be stabilized asdisclosed herein. Also, the stabilized aroma-providing components can beadded to any one of a wide variety of food or beverage products whethersuch products are consumed at room temperature, are cooled or frozen orafter heating. Typical products include coffee powders, ready to drinkbeverage mixes, candy, cake frosting, or ice cream along with manyothers that are limited only by the imagination and creativity of theproduct formulator.

[0105] The term “about,” as used herein, should generally be understoodto refer to both numbers in a range of numerals. Moreover, all numericalranges herein should be understood to include each whole integer withinthe range.

[0106] It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited tothe exact configuration as illustrated and described herein. Forexample, an aroma can be treated to reduce the amounts of carbonyls suchas by physical or chemical fractionation, and then can be stabilizedaccording to the present invention with a much lower amount of anucleophile. Also, the removed carbonyls can be discarded or added backto coffee solids but as a component that is separate from the stabilizedaroma. Accordingly, all expedient modifications readily attainable byone of ordinary skill in the art from the disclosure set forth herein,or by routine experimentation therefrom, are deemed to be within thespirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A stabilized aroma-providing component comprisingan aroma-providing component in the form of a gas, liquid or powder, anda stabilizing agent of a nucleophile that contains at least one atomhaving at least one lone pair of electrons, with the stabilizing agentbeing present with the aroma-providing component in an amount sufficientto chemically interact with compounds in the aroma-providing componentto (a) provide increased amounts of desirable compounds that impartdesirable flavor or sensory characteristics to the aroma or (b) reducethe amount of undesirable compounds that suppress desirable flavorcharacteristics or that contribute to or generate undesirable flavor orsensory characteristics in the aroma, wherein the stabilizing agent ispresent with the aroma-providing component prior to combining thestabilized aroma-providing component with a further component of a food,beverage, food-forming or beverage-forming material and optionally witha liquid to form a product for consumption which product contains animproved or enhanced aroma compared to an unstabilized aroma-providingcomponent.
 2. The stabilized aroma-providing component of claim 1,wherein the stabilizing agent is a nucleophile that contains at leastone atom of sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen or carbon and is present in anamount of between about 1 and 50,000 ppm.
 3. The stabilizedaroma-providing component of claim 1, which further comprises one ormore additional components such as thiols or compounds that generatethiols so that the additional compound contributes to the flavor orsensory characteristics of the aroma or masks off-flavors in thearoma-providing component, or an antioxidant in an amount sufficient toreduce generation of or scavenge free radicals in the aroma-providingcomponent.
 4. The stabilized aroma-providing component of claim 1,wherein the stabilizing agent is SO₂, a sulfite, or a compound orsubstance that contains or generates a sulfite, a thiol, an amine or anamino acid, and is present in an amount of between about 1 and 20,000ppm.
 5. The stabilized aroma-providing component of claim 1, wherein thestabilizing agent comprises cysteine or glutathione or a salt thereof.6. The stabilized aroma-providing component of claim 1, wherein thestabilizing agent is an enzyme and is present in an amount sufficient toreact with aldehyde groups of compounds associated with thearoma-providing component.
 7. The stabilized aroma-providing componentof claim 1, which provides tea aroma, malt, Maillard reaction product,or a combination thereof.
 8. The stabilized aroma-providing component ofclaim 1, which provides chocolate or cocoa aroma and wherein thestabilizing agent is present in an amount sufficient to react with someor all of the carbonyl groups present in compounds associated with thechocolate aroma.
 9. The stabilized aroma-providing component of claim 1,which provides coffee aroma, wherein the stabilizing agent is present inan amount sufficient to react with some or all of the carbonyl groupspresent in compounds associated with the coffee aroma to reduce orinhibit pyrrole loss from the coffee aroma, or to reduce or inhibitdegradation of thiols in the coffee aroma, thus retaining a significantportion of one or more of the desirable flavor or sensorycharacteristics of the coffee aroma during at least six months ofstorage.
 10. A foodstuff comprising a first component of a food,beverage, a food-forming component or a beverage-forming component, anda second component of the stabilized aroma-providing component of claim1 associated with the first component in an amount sufficient to releasean aroma that provides desirable flavor or sensory characteristics tothe foodstuff, wherein the stabilized aroma-providing component retainsthe desirable flavor or sensory characteristic of the aroma for at leastsix months during storage.
 11. The foodstuff of claim 10 furthercomprising a liquid for reconstitution as a beverage prior toconsumption.
 12. The foodstuff of claim 11 in the form of a solution,suspension, dispersion or slurry formed by combining the liquid with thefoodstuff and stabilized aroma-providing component.
 13. The foodstuff ofclaim 12, in the form of a powder obtained by drying the solution,suspension, dispersion or slurry, with the powder being stored until alater time when it is reconstituted for consumption by the addition of aliquid.
 14. The foodstuff of claim 10 wherein the stabilizing agent ispresent in the stabilized aroma-providing component in an amounteffective to provide a controlled release of the desirable flavor orsensory characteristics of the aroma over a period of between 3 and 25minutes after reconstitution.
 15. The foodstuff of claim 10, wherein thestabilized aroma-providing component is packaged separately from thefoodstuff, is in powder form, is frozen to retard the release ofvolatiles, is encapsulated, is provided as an emulsion, or is associatedwith a carrier.